A Community Transformed

Mar 27, 2020

Houston’s First has a heart for missions and sends teams on trips throughout the year to partner with various ministries and church plants. These trips are designed for Houston’s First to collaborate with our partners in the great work they are doing for the Gospel as well as support them in different ways. Trips vary in locations and activities, but they all have one thing in common – sharing the love and truth of Jesus.

A mission trip to Costa Rica was scheduled for March 14-21, but the team wasn’t able to travel due to the coronavirus outbreak. Even though the team wasn’t able to go, Houston’s First was still able to partner with a local church in Costa Rica to make a big impact in the kingdom of God.

Kevin Spivey, minister of assimilation at Houston’s First, explains the original plans for the trip.

“My wife, Marlen, and I were to lead the trip to Costa Rica with a team of 26 people.” Spivey says. “We were partnering with Tamarindo Church, an English- speaking church geared toward local business owners, and tourists, pastored by Lyle and Stacey Watson.”

The Watsons (first picture in gallery below) and the Tamarindo Church family have been ministering to Evelyn (second picture in gallery below), a local Costa Rican from the town of Los Pochotes who sells coconuts outside of the church on Sundays. Evelyn brought the light of Jesus into her community where there was once a lot of darkness. Evelyn even shared a video of a person preaching and singing praise and worship in the street to show how God is moving.

Tamarindo Church has come behind Evelyn to show God’s love to the people of Los Pochotes and she recently shared that the community could use a roof over the outside area where they are congregating for preaching and worship.

One of the ministry projects that the Houston’s First team had scheduled for the trip was to come alongside Tamarindo Church and build the first church in Evelyn’s small community.

“We were on board and excited to join in on what Jesus was doing there. Houston’s First sent the funds ahead of time for the ministry projects,” explained Spivey. “The funds were allocated for the roof, floor, electrical work, plumbing chairs, food for the church inauguration, and food bags for each family.”

When the Houston’s First team was unable to go on the trip, they told Tamarindo Church to proceed with the projects if they wished to do so. The Watsons approached their congregation to see if they wanted to take on the project as a church.

With the funds Houston’s First gave and with the local men of Los Pochotes, the church was built. Stacey Watson describes how this partnership with Houston’s First impacted the community.

“Houston’s First efforts have helped transform the community of Los Pochotes,” Watson describes. “Not only were we able to put people to work and finish the church space, this newly-birthed church body prayed God’s word into each home and blessed them with a bag of food. In addition, we were able to use this partnership and situation as an opportunity to learn how to serve the communities better.”